friday meditation: my top ten happy memories in the sultanate

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Life, Oman, Travel

Friday, Mary 24: I will carry to America hundreds of wonderful memories of my time here in the Sultanate of Oman.  There are too many to put into one blog post, as I have written over 475 posts during my 20+ months here.  As part of my fond farewell to Oman, here are my top 10 happy memories.

1.  On April 19, 2012, Mario, his Omani friend Sultan and I went on a mis-adventure to Wadi Damm.  It was shortly after a big rainfall and we had to cross about 10 fast-flowing wadis.  It was a foolish exploit, because many people get killed every year in flooding wadis; it rains so rarely here that most of the time the wadis are bone dry and people don’t realize how dangerous they are.  For us on this day, it was a grand & somewhat dangerous adventure.  We laughed a lot and then ended up at my house drinking wine and enjoying the night away ~ high jinks all around.  (an attempted trip to wadi damm ~ foiled by raging wadis)

one of the raging wadis on the way to Ibri

2. On April 26, 2012, two of my friends, Kathy and Tom, and I ventured across the Hajar Mountains in Oman.  We drove over a treacherous dirt road along the edges of steep mountains through Wadi Bani Awf toward an idyllic little village called Balad Sayt.  In order to get to this beautiful village, we had to clamber through a pool-filled canyon to emerge on the other side in an open bowl surrounded by mountains.  The village with all its lush green plantations sits in the middle of this bowl.  Kathy made the mistake of abandoning her shoes beside one of the pools in the canyon.  When she came out on the Balad Sayt side, she struggled mightily to walk over the burning gravelly path up to the village. She devised several methods to protect her feet, using discarded pieces of rotten wood which she tossed ahead of her one step at a time; this painstaking method didn’t work too well.  She finally tied some flexible bark around her feet with old twine.  I know it wasn’t too funny for Kathy, but Tom and I never laughed so hard in our lives! (52 pick up: success (aka overcoming adversity))

Kathy and her bark and twine makeshift shoes ~ at Balad Sayt, Oman

3. On March 28, 2013, Mario and I went up to Jebel Akhdar to see the roses.  The year before, we had tried to see the roses but had come too late.  This time, we were able to breathe in the sweet fragrance and take lovely photos of the pink blossoms.  We had a lovely time walking through the rose gardens and then having wine and dinner at the Sahab Hotel after (the roses of jebel akdhar & a lovely encounter with an irish couple).  We repeated similar amazing experiences on Jebel Akhdar so many other times, I can’t even count them all.

Roses on Jebel Akhdar

Everyone who reads my blog knows that my favorite place in Oman is Jebel Akhdar.  Each time I went up the “Green Mountain,” I had different memorable experiences that I’ll carry in my heart always.  Here are a couple more of my favorite times.

• Taking Beg and Mona Lisa up to the mountain on Valentine’s Day, 2013:  a valentine’s day adventure on jebel akhdar
  

  the terraces of Jebel Akhdar on Valentine’s Day

• Taking Mike, Alex and Adam to the Hanging Villages on January 8, 2013: a hike around the hanging villages of wadi al ayn on jebel akhdar
  

  Alex, Mike and Adam on Jebel Akhdar

• Hiking through Wadi Bani Habib with Mario and his Omani friend Mohammed on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012: thanksgiving day on jebel akhdar: villages of wadi bani habib. {part two}
  

  finding colorful ruins at Wadi Bani Habib with Mario & Mohammed

  

  Mario in the ruins of Wadi Bani Habib on Jebel Akhdar

• Taking Malcolm and his lovely wife Sandy to Jebel Akhdar on a cold December night in 2012: a cold but lovely night at the sahab on jebel akhdar
  

  Sandy & Malcolm on a cold night on Jebel Akhdar

4) On May 11, 2012, Mario and I went hiking on Jebel Akhdar in search of the roses, but we were too late to see them.  However, we had one of many great conversations throughout the course of our friendship.  After our hike, he invited me to come over and share lime-flavored white corn TOSTITOS® tortilla chips (a rare find in Oman), apricot & almond cheese, cheddar cheese and a bottle of wine.  We sat in his air-conditioned living room and talked about the tribal society of Oman and the confining rules under which a tribe must live, a conversation I call “escaping the tribe.”  Sometimes I think I should write a book titled “Conversations with Mario.” (searching for roses on jebel akhdar & a conversation about escaping the “tribe”)

Ruins at Wadi Bani Habib on Jebel Akhdar

5) On January 13, 2012, my sons came to visit me in Oman, and all of us loved our excursion into the watery cave at Wadi Shab (cliff-jumping in the hidden caves of wadi shab).  Stunningly beautiful.

The entrance to the pools at Wadi Shab that you must swim through to get to the cave

6) On April 11, 2013, Mario and I went to explore Wadi Bani Kharous.  Not only did we explore the multitudes of picturesque villages in that wadi, but we experienced some great Omani hospitality along the way. (a trip to wadi bani kharous)

Omani hospitality at Wadi Bani Kharous

7) On Tuesday, February 21, 2013 Mario and I went on a huge road trip, where we explored Wadi Dayqah Dam, among other places, and ended up in Wadi Arbiyyin on the east coast of Oman.  Then we headed to Muscat and had a sushi buffet.  It was the road trip to beat all road trips, and perfectly lovely, except for the gunshots that scared us out of our wits. (wadi arbiyyin >> quriyat >> sushi in muscat. {the road trip: part 3})

Wadi Arbiyyin on the east coast of Oman

8)  When I first arrived in Oman, I coudn’t find anyone who wanted to go exploring Oman on the first National Holiday, so I went by myself. I had a great time at Al Areesh Desert Camp meeting random people and listening & dancing to the Bedouin music. (national holiday chapter 3: sharqiya sands & al-areesh desert camp)

Bedouin singers at Al Areesh Desert Camp

9)  When I went to Jordan over the 2011 Eid, I met an Italian guy, Guido, who came to visit me in Oman in December.  We had a great time going to Wadi Tiwi on his visit here on December 2, 2011. (cathy takes guido to wadis tiwi & shab…and up the coast to muscat)

Exploring Wadi Tiwi with Guido

10) The first time I went to Nakhal Fort, had lunch with an Omani family, then drove through Wadi Mistal to Wekan was simply magical. (nakhal fort, lunch with an omani family & a wild drive up wadi mistal)

My first magical time in Wekan

I’ve been to some of these places many times, and each time was wonderfully special.  I’ve picked my favorites based on a feeling of peace and contentment I experienced during those specific times.

My time here in Oman is coming to a close.  I am ready to leave, but I will carry many happy memories with me. 🙂

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the fabulous wadi shab… topped off by dinner at kargeen

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Oman, Travel

Friday, January 4:  Wadi Shab is a spectacular narrow gorge along the coastal road north of Sur. My boys consider this their favorite spot in Oman, equal only to Camp Al Areesh in Sharqiya Sands, so of course we must do this hike early on in their visit.  To get into the gorge, we cross the small waterway by boat and then walk along a narrow path shaded by dry date palms.  We walk gingerly over a long stretch of loose round rocks, a little difficult to navigate.  As the gorge narrows, we follow a small footpath on a ledge above the wadi floor.  Wadi Shab is quite crowded today, and lots of Omanis and tourists are jumping off the high ledges into deep pools below. Adam is keen to jump off these cliffs, so we take a break for Adam to make a leap.  Then we proceed further back to our prime destination, a deep and long pool in the gorge leading to a cave, with an opening at the top that lets in streams of sunlight.  After the first set of pools, we hike through another boulder-strewn part of the wadi, clambering over huge rocks and then along the falaj until we get to the next set of pools, about an hour into the gorge.

At the rocky beach along the first pool of this set, we shed our clothes and then start wading back in our bathing suits.  I wear my hiking sandals because the bottom of the pool is covered in pebbles.  As we get further back, we swim through increasingly deeper pools.  Then, in front of us looms the cave, with a small narrow opening at the bottom that we must swim through to get inside the cave.  The opening is just narrow enough to keep our heads above water as we swim through.  Then, we’re inside, where people are swimming around in the aquamarine water.

entering Wadi Shab

Adam jumps off a cliff in the first set of pools

inside the cave, the boys climb up a rope by the waterfall

me swimming inside the cave

the opening to the cave

the boys on the cliff ledge

Alex climbs up a rope by a waterfall to the ledges above.  Adam climbs up behind him.  They want to jump off the cliff in the pool, but they can’t remember how they get to the top of the ledge, even though they did it last year.  Finally, they get some Omani guys to show them how to shimmy under a narrow ledge to the jumping off point.  They take the leap, sailing off the cliff into the pool below.

After our afternoon of swimming and hiking, we drive up the coastal road to Muscat, where we have a lovely outdoor dinner in the gardens of Kargeen.

Alex & Adam drink lemon mint juice at Kargeen

Kargeen

Kargeen

the fountain at Kargeen

Mike and me

lanterns in niches at Kargeen

After dinner, we have no choice but to drive the 1 1/2 hours back to Nizwa, as I have to go to work tomorrow.

an InterNations convoy & the cliff diving world series 2012 at wadi shab

Thursday, September 27: This morning Neziha, who works with me at the university, and her friend Andreas, have organized a convoy of people from InterNations who will go together to the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2012 at Wadi Shab.  This competition is the last leg in the series, with Colombian Orlando Duque as the current leader based on overall points.

Neziha & Bert, another InterNations member

Kathy. And Anna, peeking through the open door…

We are all supposed to meet at the Al Amerat Roundabout outside of Muscat at 7 a.m.  Of course, as always when people are waiting for a group to congregate, there are a few people who are late and hold up the whole show.  In this case, though we arrive right at 7 a.m., several people are as late as 7:40.  Finally, we give up on the few who still haven’t shown up and we head down the highway toward Wadi Shab.

Bert, Andreas, Neziha & Othman

me, myself and i 🙂

It is great to meet some new people outside of the university.  We meet a Dutch man, Bert, who takes on the role of family man by offering to carry two women and their three children in his big vehicle.  We meet a Palestinian guy named Othman and an Omani sea-captain who has taken Neziha to the Damaniyat Islands. When we stop for coffee and petrol in Qurayat, we meet another group from Rustaq, Brits and Pakistanis, who were late for the 7:00 meeting, but have still managed to catch up with us here.

the whole group when the late arrivals catch up with us at Qurayat

Our happy caravan cruises down the road. As we’re driving, Kathy says she feels uncomfortable in large crowds and so feels nervous about this event.  I also feel nervous in large crowds, but Anna and I say that it’s good sometimes to push ourselves and step out of our comfort zone.

me and Kathy with the event poster

For me, this weekend is really out of my comfort zone.  For one, I don’t do well in heat and humidity.  Second, I, like Kathy, don’t like large crowds.  Somehow having our smaller crowd of InterNations people feels cozy to me, so we’ll at least have a little crowd within a crowd to hang out with.  Finally, we are planning to camp after the event.  Most people know by now that I am not a camping kind of girl.  I prefer the comfort of a hotel.  Even when I do camp, which is rare, I’m the kind of person who will set up a tent and sleeping bag, and then run to the nearest restaurant to eat.  I hate the hassle of carrying all the cooking gear and food, collecting firewood, setting up a campfire, cooking over a flame, and then washing the dishes in less than ideal circumstances.  I don’t like it that I don’t have a private bathroom or running water or a shower to wash off the sand and salt.  So, between all of these things, I am really out of my comfort zone.

Red Bull: the sponsor of our show

Anna and I agree however, that it is good to sometimes push ourselves out of our comfort zone.  Maybe we will make some new friends or our lives will head off in some new trajectory as a result of this out-of-our-normal-pattern action.   Kathy is not convinced.  She just doesn’t like crowds. Little do I know how much I will be totally out of my comfort zone today, and how much I will dislike the crowds, the heat, and camping.

a close-up of the bridge

We reach the exit for Wadi Tiwi, next door to Wadi Shab, and head into the tangle of cars trying to find parking as close as possible to the entrance to Wadi Shab.  Already at 10:30, it is sweltering and, as usual in Oman, as there is little foliage anywhere, there is nowhere to escape the sun.  We trudge a long distance on the road to the opening of Wadi Shab.  By the time we arrive at the entrance to the wadi, sweat is pouring off of all of us.

already drenched and we haven’t even reached the competition point!

Usually there is a little boat to take people across the wadi, so I wonder how this will be handled with the lines of people traipsing along like ants on an anthill.  When we come to the wadi, we see the event managers (co-sponsors Red Bull and Oman’s Ministry of Tourism) have built a footbridge across the wadi.  We cross it.

the footbridge built over the wadi for this event

looking into Wadi Shab

Next, we must walk quite a distance over a sandy path underneath some brown date palms; after this, there is a long patch on the wadi bed of smooth rocks, bigger than pebbles but smaller than boulders, that roll about under our feet as we walk. It’s not easy going.  I’m surprised by the constant stream of people and we realize that this crowd is going to be a lot bigger than any of us imagined.

walking under the dried up date palms

the crowds entering the event area

By the time we arrive to where the event is to take place, the space between the canyon walls is filled with people.  People have climbed up on every available ledge.  People are overflowing from the rocky beach area into the water.  Some people are floating on inner tubes in the water.  Some people are huddled under slices of shade offered by overhanging rock ledges, while others are squeezed under a big Red Bull tarp.  Everyone is searching for shade as well as a decent vantage point to see the divers.

crowds of people

Almost immediately, when we join the crowd at cliff-diving central, Anna and I realize we have lost not only most of our InterNations group, but Kathy as well.  Kathy, who made it very clear to us that she does not like crowds.  We look and look for her, and send text messages and try to call, but there is not a good signal in the wadi. When the signal finally catches, the message is sent, but she is not checking her messages.

An announcer tells the crowd to please be quiet for the warm-up dives, as the divers need silence to concentrate.  It’s hard to keep the crowd quiet, as hoots and hollers come from all quarters.  Despite that, the divers must have great powers of concentration, because they do their dives with seeming perfection.

the dive platform and a diver

Anna and I try to climb toward the VIP area.  Anna is so funny; she always thinks any barrier can be overcome and she will be able to talk her way in.  This is not the case here.  We are turned away at the steps that lead to the VIP area.  If you are looking to read a great account of the actual cliff-diving competition from the VIP area, you should visit the following posts by Andy in Oman.  HE was in the VIP area, as was his friend, who also posted a great blog and excellent pictures.  You can see those blogs here: 1) Red Bull Cliff Diving at Wadi Shab (Part 1) – Welcome & Warmup, 2) 2 Awesome Dives at Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 2012 at Wadi Shab, Oman, 3) Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2012 Final at Wadi Shab, Oman (Awesome Dives Clip 2), and 4) Awesome Dives Video Clip #3 – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2012 Final.  Here’s another account by Andy’s friend, but I’m sorry I don’t know his name!! THE ROGUE AND PEASANT SLAVE: Red Bull Cliff Diving Championships in Oman.  And for the real, official version of what happened, please see: RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES FINAL.

the dive platform above the heads of the crowd

setting the scene

Some of the facts of the cliff-diving competition, from the event brochure, are as follows: The dive platform maximum height is 28 meters (~ 92 feet) and the minimum is 26.5 meters (~ 87 feet).  Olympic diving is 10 meters (~32 feet)!  The free fall takes about 3 seconds, with physical forces of 2-3G.  The divers enter the water at speeds of 85-90km per hour (53-56 miles/hour), nine times harder than from a 10 meter (Olympic height) platform.

we might be filmed!

The highest risk of injury occurs during the plunge, when parts of the body are already exposed to absolute deceleration and others, above the surface, are still at full speed. At this point, absolute physical tension is absolutely necessary. Immediately after hitting the water, the athlete has to actively dive away to avoid compression or contortion of parts of the body due to the hardness of the water. However, major mistakes can be ruled out because of the divers’ technical training and experience. A pancake landing from such heights can be compared with a hard landing from 13 meters (~43 feet) on concrete.  That is why only about three or four dozen athletes worldwide pursue this exclusive and extreme sport.  Generally speaking, high diving over 28 meters is not justifiable. Due to the rapid acceleration, almost no time benefit occurs from higher dives, but the risk of injuries increases disproportionately.

yet another view of an empty dive platform… 🙂

Five international jurors judge each dive on the following criteria: 1) Take off, 2) Position in the air, and 3) Entry in the water, with scores from 0-10.

Sadly, this version of the story is simply my personal experience.  If you want to know what it was like to be in the masses, read on.  If you want the official, real details of the CLIFF DIVING COMPETITION, you should stop here and check the links above!

Anna ahead of me walking along the ledges

So, to continue with my saga: Anna and I clamber around on the rock ledges, trying to catch a decent glimpse of the cliff divers, to locate our InterNations friends, and to find Kathy. We are unsuccessful on all fronts.  We can only see the top halves of the dives; we can never see the divers hit the water because of all the people in the way.  I try to take some pictures of the divers, or at least I think I am doing so, but the divers disappear from the frame before the camera snaps.  I have no pictures of the divers! The only photos I get are of crowds and crowds of people, an empty dive platform, and the Red Bull tents.  Mostly I am too busy sweating to even bother to take pictures.  And then to top it off, as Anna and I are clambering through some bushes on the ledges, I get stung on my left hand by a very angry bee.

Anna shielding herself from the sun with a towel

I have had many bee stings in my life, and usually they barely bother me.  I don’t know what kind of bee this was, but I know he must have had some nasty venom in him.  It feels like I’ve been shot.  My hand immediately swells to nearly twice its normal size.  I am hot, thirsty and tired of fighting for a decent view and some shade.

hordes of people

While my hand is burning and stinging, down below us, Anna spots Kathy.  We fight our way down and sit beside her on the opposite side of the wadi from the crowds, under a few little shade trees.  We are all tired, hot and irritable.  We’ve totally lost interest in the dives because we can barely see them anyway.  Kathy is hungry and so am I, so Anna and I go to the Left Bank restaurant’s tent to get some chicken wraps.  A guy who is serving people in the hot sun looks drenched.  Anna says, “Wow, you’re lucky.  It looks like someone poured a bucket of water on you!”  He looks at us like we’re crazy.  “This is SWEAT!” he says.

check out the people on the ledges!

Finally we vote to leave the island. I mean the wadi. We have had enough.  So we trudge back out of the wadi, where luckily we catch a shuttle car to the bridge.  We cross the bridge, and slog up a hill until we finally catch another car for 1 rial each back to the parking lot.  I have never been so happy to jump into an air-conditioned car.

I’m sure the cliff-diving competition was a pretty fabulous thing.  What little I saw of the dives were amazing.  I read about it and saw great pictures from Andy’s and Rogue’s blogs.  But as for it being a truly enjoyable event…not in my book!

Later, when speaking about the event, I make a guess that thousands of people attended this event.  I don’t know the actual figure, but Neziha says she heard it was 6,000!  I don’t doubt it one bit!

a night in muscat: first leg of a road trip to the cliff-diving competition

Wednesday, September 26:  The weekend ahead promises to be a good one.  Kathy, Anna and I pack a bunch of camping gear and food and head to Muscat this evening. We are on the first leg of a road trip to see the Red Bull Diving Competition at Wadi Shab, which has been advertised quite heavily here in Oman.  We have plans to get up early and meet a group of people from InterNations to head to Wadi Shab in a caravan at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.

entering La Mer Seafood Restaurant

La Mer Restaurant dining area

When we arrive in Muscat, we have a lovely dinner at La Mer Seafood Restaurant at Shatti Al Qurum. Before sitting in the dining room, we walk up to the rooftop, most of which is enclosed with heavy plastic and air-conditioned.  We walk outside through the plastic panels where we can see the Crowne Plaza at one end of the beach and cars driving by along the beach.  On the back side of La Mer, we can see the Royal Opera House all lit up.  It’s quite beautiful.  But we opt to sit indoors because it’s too hot and humid even at night to sit outdoors.

cars in motion along Shatti al Qurum with the Crowne Plaza at the far end

Royal Opera House Muscat

inside plastic panels at the rooftop bar

beautiful lantern

I have never been to La Mer before, so I’m happy to sample this restaurant.  I order a fish labeled “kofer,” fresh off the ice.  We can have the fish prepared any way we like, so I order it grilled and filleted.  Anna orders the same fish prepared as a Turkish grill, and Kathy orders the Escalope de Poulet ~ chicken breast  rolled with thyme and sun-dried tomatoes, served with garlic spinach, mashed potato and thyme sauce.

scampi and prawns on ice

kofer on ice

giant fish

They bring us warm bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce, but we add plenty of butter first.  Then we dip.  We order fruit drinks, Anna a pink watermelon and me an “Azart” ~ pomegranate and orange. Kathy’s Pepsi takes longer to get to her than our specially prepared fruit drinks.

pomegranate and orange juice mocktail

Kathy and Anna

Kathy and me

Our meals are delicious, but my meal doesn’t seem to be enough.  I am quite hungry.  I keep wanting to sample Kathy’s mashed potatoes, and then her garlic spinach, then pieces of her chicken wrapped around the sun-dried tomatoes with that delicious thyme sauce.  I think I know what I will order next time!

my grilled kofer

Kathy’s yummy chicken meal…I ate about 1/3 of it… 🙂

After dinner, we head to Anna’s Muscat apartment, where we try to get a good night’s sleep for an early morning tomorrow.  More to follow on our road trip….

cliff-jumping in the hidden caves of wadi shab

Friday, January 13:  This morning I return to Wadi Shab for my second time, determined to penetrate into its depths and find the pools and caves that are the wadi’s claim to fame.  The boys and I have the whole day ahead of us, so there is no setting sun to cut short our aspirations.

Adam and Alex at the entrance to Wadi Shab

We park under the suspended highway and take a small boat across the stream at the head of the wadi for a cost of 200 baisas each.

a dried out palm tree at Wadi Shab

We walk along a beach dotted with dry date palms, many of them looking brown and half-dead.  When Alex tries to climb one, the bark breaks off under his feet and he slides to the bottom, his chest all scraped and bloody.  We continue on and he finds a pool to wash off his chest.  After treading gingerly, and quite awkwardly, through the long wadi bed over smooth rounded rocks, we reach the first of many pools in a deep canyon.

Like the first time I visited, I am disappointed by the view of the ugly man-made graffiti-covered concrete blocks dotting the pathway, along with the black tubing that carries water down the wadi.  I really wish someone would remove these ugly blocks or at least do something to make them blend more with the canyon walls.  They are an unsightly blight on this walkway going deep into the wadi.

ugly, ugly, ugly

We walk a long way past all the pools and then come to a wide and long part of the wadi bed strewn with huge boulders.  There is a falaj on each side of the wadi and we discover after a lot of scrambling over boulders that we can walk most of the way along the sides of the falaj.  We do just that.

After a long dry and hot spell where we are wishing we had brought water to drink, we come to a small pebble beach area alongside a new set of pools.  A lone man is sitting down by this beach.  We continue along the higher path, climbing and climbing along the cliff edge.  We can see the pools down below but no way to access them from the high path we are on.  We ask some guys who are camping along the edge where we should go and they direct us further up the path. But after walking and walking, we see no way down to the pools and decide to backtrack.

one of the early pools in Wadi Shab

Back down by the pools, more people have now congregated.  I meet two nice teachers from Sur, one of whom, Rebecca, is a friend of June, the teacher in Sohar who asked me at the Royal Opera House if I was the Nizwa blogger.  I’m always amazed at what a small world Oman is.  It was really nice to talk with Rebecca and her friend, and we exchanged mobile numbers. I really hope she’ll come to visit me in Nizwa one day!  Rebecca encouraged us to wade and swim down the length of the pool to see the caves hidden around a number of bends.  I ask another Omani man who is standing nearby if I can take my camera.  He says you must swim part of the way and you can’t take your camera.  He tells me I can leave my bag there on the beach, but I’m not about to be THAT trusting.  I know Omanis are very trustworthy, but a lot of people are coming into Wadi Shab and I have EVERYTHING in my bag, including my labor card, money, credit cards, phone and camera.

Alex and Adam the intrepid explorers

The boys and I debate about the situation and I tell them to go ahead without me and I will stay with my bag.  It takes a while but finally they convince me they won’t go without me and they say we will take the bag and try to find a spot to leave it when the going gets rough.  I reluctantly agree, and we wade down the pool.  Finally, we get to a point where there are some ledges alongside the pools.  We can see there is a spot ahead where the cliffs are shear on either side and the pools are deep.  This is the place I MUST leave my bag, camera and all.

Alex swims in one of the many pools

We find a hiding place for it behind a small bush and then we swim through the next pool, scramble over some rocks and go into one long pool that ends with a huge rock across the pool.  This looks like the end.

We can see a small hole in the bottom of this huge rock face.  It has a keyhole shape; more accurately the hole is in the shape of a person’s head and shoulder, right above the surface of the water.  There is light shining on the other side of this hole and we know this is the cave we were told about. The hole for the head looks so small, I worry that my big head will get stuck in the hole as I’m passing through.  I say, No!  I can’t go!!  Adam says if I don’t go he won’t either.  Alex forges the way and swims through, yelling back that we HAVE TO come, it’s amazing!! Adam and I are afraid and are just treading water looking at that little hole.  I say, Go, Adam!! You should go ahead without me!  He says no way, he won’t go unless I go.  Stalemate.

Wadi Shab

Alex stands on the edge of a falaj in Wadi Shab

Adam stretches out over a falaj

Finally, I go forward gingerly, putting my head through the hole, and holding on to the rocks as I swim through.  I feel that my head barely fits, but I make it and Adam follows shortly behind.  Inside the cave, it is stunningly gorgeous.  A waterfall cascades over a round rock; the splash and rush of the water echoes against the walls.  A rope dangles into the pool alongside the waterfall.  Sunlight streams into the cave from the opening above. I tread water in the cool blue water and enjoy my sons’ enthusiasm.  I love this place myself.

I think this is the cave from above

Alex climbs up the rope beside the waterfall and clambers over the rocks at the top.  Some other boys are up there and they show him where he should jump off a cliff into the pool.  The rock ledge is quite high and it bulges out, so if he jumps he will have to leap forward to avoid getting scraped by the rock.  He stands at the top for quite a while, takes a deep breath and leaps.  “Woohoo!” he yells, as he bobs to the surface after a big splash. “That was amazing!”

the pool leading to the hidden cave…

Of course Adam follows behind him and jumps as well. Alex climbs up and jumps again.  Meanwhile I am treading water in the pool below watching my boys do these death-defying leaps.  Though I’m enjoying the thrill of it all, I also have a mother’s worries about them breaking their legs or their backs on the side of the rock.  I wonder what on earth I would do, an hour-and-a-half deep into this wadi in the middle of nowhere, if something were to happen to them.  Dangerous stuff, and risky, and I can’t help but feel a great burden of responsibility for them.

Adam and Alex come out of the pools after exploring the cave

After a couple of leaps, we decide to head back out of the cave and down the wadi again.  We reverse course, swimming through the pools, picking up my bag, and wading the rest of the way back.  I have FINALLY seen what I’m supposed to see at Wadi Shab!  Hooray!!

Alex and Adam climb along the edge of the falaj

We put on our clothes over our wet bathing suits and take the long trek back to the entrance to the wadi, walking along the falaj as far as we can.  Finally, we arrive back at the car and drive the long drive back to Nizwa, stopping at the Lulu Hypermarket to stock up on fruit and food for the week ahead.  We arrive home, exhausted after our first weekend together exploring Oman’s hidden treasures. 🙂

cathy takes guido to wadis tiwi & shab…and up the coast to muscat

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Oman, Travel

Friday, December 2: Though we plan to get up early to watch the sunrise over the Sharqiya sand dunes, we end up sleeping in. A cool morning breeze streams through the windows of our cozy little barasti hut.  It’s hard to force myself to get up.  During my work week, I wake up at 5:30 a.m. every day.  And yesterday I was up at 4 a.m. to pick up Guido at the airport.  This morning, I’m savoring this slumber, this breeze, the morning desert air.

Guido partway up Wadi Tiwi

After late breakfast at Al Areesh and more chatting with the French couple, Guido and I get in the car again to head toward Sur.  This is my second time to Sur in a week, and I’m still not really sure what we’re supposed to see here.  We drive around in circles and look at the corniche and the town and the beach, and then we begin our drive up the coast toward Wadi Shab & Wadi Tiwi, which are adjacent to each other.  Last week I went to Wadi Tiwi, but because of the crowds I wasn’t able to drive up into its far reaches.  I didn’t have time to see Wadi Shab at all on that day. So today I want to see Wadi Shab first. However, we drive around in circles looking for it but can only find Wadi Tiwi.  It’s early yet, so we decide to climb the long winding roads through the villages and plantations to the top of the wadi.  Little do we know it’s not actually the top of the wadi as the entire road extends 36 km inland and ends at a mountain village known as Mibam.  I don’t find this out until later.

me with my GMC Terrain at the top of Wadi Tiwi

It’s a fun drive in my 4WD Terrain.  The road winds through small villages, so narrow in points that only one car can fit through.  It is paved some of the way and turns into dirt or gravel in other sections.  It curves sharply, climbs steeply and drops precipitously.  Guido and I are laughing at the adventure of driving up here.  It’s not so bad though, as we see normal sedans driving through.  I guess the 4WD is not really necessary.  Still.  It feels a bit like a dangerous expedition.  Guido has a smile on his face and so do I because I love this kind of thing.  I feel strong and free and independent; I’m an adventurer.  I love this car of mine and I love driving it in these kinds of places.

a stream at Wadi Tiwi

We reach a point at the top where a number of cars are parked and find some people returning from an hour-long hike into the wadi.  We don’t have time to take a hike because we want to go to Wadi Shab.  The road appears to go further up the mountain but it looks very steep and treacherous.  We decide we want to have time to see Wadi Shab, so we turn around and head back down.  We make stops along the way, so that Guido can climb a big rock, so that we can put our feet into the boulder-strewn stream.  It’s a lovely day, hot but not miserably so, and the sky is a cheery bright blue.  I think I will have to compile a list of all the wadis I visit in Oman and rank them.  This one will be near the top of my list.

me at Wadi Tiwi

Guido is adventurous and enjoys exploring these places as much as I do.  In that way, he’s an excellent travel companion.  Today he’s a little more quiet, so his non-stop talking doesn’t irritate me so much.  It’s actually quite enjoyable to have him here with me.

Guido the rock climber

After we return to the bottom of the wadi, we drive through the little village of Tiwi in search of Wadi Shab.  We know it is north of Tiwi and we finally find what might be the elusive wadi.  There are no signs visible to designate this as Wadi Shab, but we ask some people and find out it is.

the beautiful Wadi Tiwi

Wadi Shab means, in Arabic, “The Gorge Between Cliffs.” The entry view is spoiled by the coast highway that is slung across it.  Under the highway, we must take a boat steered by locals for 2 rials across the river that empties into the sea.  The boat takes us across to the other side where it is possible to walk through groves of palm trees and little plantations and then along the giant-pebbled wadi to the plantations and turquoise pools beyond.  It is quite a long walk before we reach the first of a string of pools and we walk along the cliff edges deeper into the wadi.

the entrance to Wadi Shab, marred by the expressway going across

Sadly our arrival here in the late afternoon means that the sun will set soon.  We walk and walk but realize it is quite a distance to get deep into the wadi to see the fig plantations and the pools and waterfalls that Wadi Shab is known for.  We pass a lot of hikers coming out of the wadi and finally we sit on some rocks for some water and snacks.

this is as far as we get into the wadi before the sun starts dropping

Above where we sit on rocks are cliffs dotted with small caves.  Possibly people once lived here, but I don’t know this for sure.

above where we are are caves dotting the cliff walls (see over my head)

It’s lovely, with tropical vegetation and pink oleander around the water’s edge.  The sun is going down behind the gorge and now we know that there is no way we can make it.  We sit for a bit and then turn around, heading back through the wadi to the entrance.

On the way back a bunch of Pakistani guys stop and ask Guido if he will pose for a picture with one of them.   Later Guido tells me all kinds of stories, only some of which I understand, about different Arab, Indian and Pakistani men who approach him in his travels and even in his hometown of Genoa.  He believes they are attracted to him because of his blonde hair and blue eyes.  He wonders if because the men in these cultures cannot freely go out with women, they develop a close relationship and attraction to other men.  There is definitely a warm camaraderie that I notice here in Oman between Omani men and between the multitudes of Pakistani men here.

Guido with some random Pakistani guy who requests we take a photo of the two of them together

One thing I don’t understand is why ugly concrete blocks and reams of black tubing run all along the cliff walk into the wadi.  It’s really an eyesore.  Possibly they use the water for irrigation and run it through these tubes, but it seems there must be a better way to run this tubing so it’s not so unsightly for the tourists who visit here.

We return to the entrance of the wadi where we take the boat across the pool again and get in the car for the long 2 hour drive to Muscat.  We drive up the coast highway with views of the sea and mountains all along.  We worry a little as we’re running low on gas and it seems there no petrol stations for kilometers and kilometers.  Finally we come to one north of Quriyat and feed my trusty and thirsty Terrain.

Guido next to one of the many pools in Wadi Shab

We arrive in Muscat without a clue where to eat dinner, but we end up stopping at a place called D’Arcy’s Kitchen in Medinat Sultan Qaboos.  It has a lovely outdoor patio with lush greenery everywhere, but sadly they serve no wine and the food is mediocre.

D’Arcy’s Kitchen ~ nice on atmosphere but short on good food

To top off the day, we check into my favorite cheap dive hotel in Muscat, the Qurum Beach Hotel.  The rooms and the hotel are quite shabby but the owners are always friendly and helpful and the location can’t be beat.

After a fitful night where I worry about possibly oversleeping and being late for work, I drive to Nizwa for work, while Guido stays in Muscat to explore on his own.

the lovely Qurum Beach Hotel where I’ve stayed many times